“What audacity, to dare slander the madam!” Mr. Harris seized the opportunity to step forward, his face full of grief and loyalty, as if he wished he could stomp Adam Sullivan to death on the spot.

Adam Sullivan smiled slightly and said, “The celestial maiden descends from the heavens…”

As soon as these words fell, the murderous air instantly turned to joy, and even the madam’s expression finally softened. She thought to herself, “So he’s comparing me to a fairy, that’s why he said I’m not human.”

Adam Sullivan continued, “All her descendants are thieves…”

With the previous setup, everyone no longer felt displeased, but instead smiled expectantly, waiting for the next line. Only Henry Clark looked rather unhappy, thinking, “This guy is calling me a thief in broad daylight, wow… I can’t stand it.”

Adam Sullivan finished, “Stealing the peaches of immortality to offer to one’s kin.”

“Bravo…” Several stewards, including William Cooper, applauded together, very cheerfully and giving plenty of face. On the other hand, the uncle and nephew pair, Mr. Harris and William Harris, looked a bit displeased.

The madam couldn’t help but laugh, and Chun’er hurried to hand her some tea. The young lady beside her also revealed a faint smile, adding a touch of charm to her previous poise.

“Good, good, good…” The madam repeated “good” three times, two more than her praise for William Harris.

Adam Sullivan winked at Henry Clark, who had just caught on, recalling Adam Sullivan’s earlier instructions. He quickly knelt at his mother’s knee and said, “Your son presents a birthday gift to mother.”

He rummaged in his bosom and pulled out a half-grown peach. “Though this peach can’t compare to the peaches of immortality, it was stolen by your son from the peach grove at Lingyin Temple. Today, borrowing Adam Sullivan’s poem, I wish mother longevity as great as the Southern Mountain.”

A look of happiness instantly spread across the madam’s face. She gazed at her son with deep affection and took the peach. “I like it very much.”

Henry Clark became even more enthusiastic. “Ah, mother, you don’t know—when I stole this peach, I was discovered by the monks. They set the dogs on me, and if I’d run any slower, I would have been caught by them.”

The madam, holding this half-ripe peach, was already deeply moved. She chided, “There’s no shortage of peaches in the house. Why would you, silly child, need to steal one?”

Henry Clark grinned foolishly, all of this naturally arranged by Adam Sullivan. Adam Sullivan had told him to steal a peach, and he thought he was just helping out. When told to bring the peach today, he kept it close, never expecting that Adam Sullivan would use him to fit the occasion—but it worked out quite well.

Mr. Harris said, “Madam, Adam Sullivan incited the young master to steal a peach, which is quite improper. If word got out, people would laugh their teeth out.”

The madam now hesitated. Her son’s filial piety made her very gratified, but stealing peaches was not right. If she scolded him, it might chill his filial heart; but if she let it go, she feared Henry Clark would become even more unruly in the future. Hearing Mr. Harris’s words, the madam frowned again.

Adam Sullivan said, “Mr. Harris, that’s not right. In my view, whether one is an official or a thief, the most important thing in life is filial piety. It was wrong for the young master to steal the peach, but his filial devotion alone is enough to cover all flaws. If one always keeps benevolence and filial piety in mind, then in this world, there is nothing one would bear to do that is truly wrong. That’s why filial piety comes first among all virtues.”

The madam, eager to defend her son, nodded repeatedly like a pecking hen. “Yes, yes, filial piety is the foremost of all virtues. With filial devotion, nothing else is a big problem.” She thought to herself, “It seems this Adam Sullivan is not entirely useless after all.”

“So does this round count as Adam Sullivan’s win?” Henry Clark, eager to please his mother, hoped she would nod, so that with two out of three, Adam Sullivan would be the winner.

Mr. Harris quickly said, “Madam, what Adam Sullivan just said makes sense. But in terms of poetry, William’s poem is clearly better. In comparison, while Adam Sullivan’s poem is clever, it lacks artistic conception.”

The madam nodded. “Then let’s count this round as William’s win.”

The madam had her own calculations. Although her impression of Adam Sullivan had improved, she still wanted to observe him further before making a decision.

Adam Sullivan was quite aggrieved, but he still had more moves to play, so he hypocritically said, “Scholar Harris’s poem is indeed better than mine. I admit defeat.”

William Harris, however, felt that Adam Sullivan was mocking him and sneered in silence.

“This fellow has taken a dislike to me now.” Adam Sullivan sensed William Harris’s attitude.

In painting, Adam Sullivan had won; in poetry, William Harris had a slight edge. Now it was a tie, and the main event had yet to begin. The madam didn’t seem in a hurry. The writing materials were cleared away, and fruits and pastries were brought in. The madam beckoned to everyone, “You’re all tired, have some pastries first.”

Following her instructions, they sat down. Adam Sullivan’s gaze fell on the string of prayer beads in the madam’s hand. Compared to her family background, the beads were rather plain, even a bit shabby. But judging by their dull color, they must have been used for many years.

As an art thief, deception was Adam Sullivan’s most basic skill, and the key to deception was reading people—analyzing their character and preferences from the smallest details.

Judging by the color of the beads, they must be quite old, so Adam Sullivan could deduce that the beads were a gift from an elder to the madam. Seeing how much she cherished them, he could conclude that this elder meant a great deal to her.

He took a bite of pastry and said to the madam, “Madam, these prayer beads are truly fine. When my mother was still alive, she also had a string just like this. Unfortunately…” Adam Sullivan showed a look of grief and said no more.